Inclosed-electric-arc lamp.



No. 678,446. Patented luly l6, |90L E. P. WARNER.

INGLOSED ELECTRIC ARC LAMP.

(Application filed Apr 30, 1900.)

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' NITED TATES PATENT FFICE.

ERNEST P. WVARNER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

lNCLOSED-ELECTRIC-ARC LAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 678,446, dated July 16, 1901.

Application filed April 30, 1900.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ERNEST P. WARNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Inclosed-Arc Electric Lamps, (Case No. 69,) of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

My invention relates to an inclosed-arc electric lamp, and more particularly to an improvement in means for controlling the ingress and egress of air and gas to and from the arc-chamber.

In electric-arc lampsof the character mentioned the arc is formed in a sealed chamber to prevent the too-rapid combustion of the carbons, and for this reason the free access of air to the arc-chamber must be prevented; but in order to equalize the pressure some means must be provided whereby the gases formed within the arc-chamber may be permitted to escape. The upper carbon is usually led into the arc-chamber through a hole in the plate which forms the roof thereof, and some trouble has been experienced by the access of air to the arc-chamber through this hole. It is very difficult to obtain carbon sticks of uniform diameter, and, since the hole leading into the arc-chamber must necessarily be made of a size to accommodate the largest diameter of carbon which is likely to be used, when carbon of smaller diameter is used the space between the wall of the carbon and the edge of the hole will be so great as to permit too-free access of air.

It has been my purpose to provide an improved construction whereby variations in the diameter of the carbon will make no difference in the proper operation of the lamp. In accordance with my invention I provide an expansible washer or packing-ring surrounding the hole through which the carbon is led into the arc-chamber, said packing-ring being adapted automatically to adjust itself to carbon of varying diameter, whereby the ingress of air to the arc-chamber may be pre vented. Preferably I provide an annular funnel-shaped seat around the hole through which the carbon passes and an annular washer or packing-ring comprising a number of separate segments resting in said seat and seal No. 14,801. (No model.)

tending to slide down the sloping surface thereof. The segmental packing-ring thus fits closely about the carbon stick and is au tomatically expansible and contractible to accommodate itself to variations in the diameter of the carbon.

I will describe my invention more particularly by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of a portion of an arc-lam p, showing the arc-chamber and the improved packing-ring or gascheck of my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the gas-check, and Fig. 3 is a plan View thereof with the upper portion removed to show the segmental packing-ring.

Similar letters of reference are used to designate the same parts wherever they are shown. I

The arc-chamber a is formed by a glass globe b, fitted upon the under side of the plate a, which forms a portion of the framework of the lamp. The plate 0 thus constitutes the roof of the arc-chamber, and it is through this plate that the upper carbon at is fed into the arc-chamber. A hole 0 is provided in the plate a, through which the upper carbon (1 is passed, and it is to this hole that the gas-check of my invention is intended to be applied to prevent the access of air to the interior of the gas-chamber through the space between the wall of the carbon and the edge of the hole. The upper carbon dis being constantly moved up and down through the hole by the regulating mechanism of the lamp to adjust the length of the arc,so that it is impossible to em ploy any gas-check which will interfere materially with this free movement of the carbon.

In accordance with my invention I bore the hole 0 large enough to accommodate the largest stick of carbon which is likely to be used in the lamp. A11 annular f unnel-shaped seat 0 is formed in the plat-e 0 around the hole through which the'carbon passes, and an annular washer or packing-ring comprising a number of separate segments is provided to fit around the carbon stick, said seg ments being shaped to rest within the seat and to slide independently of one another upon the sloping surface thereof. The segments of the packing-ring thus fit closely about the carbon stick and accommodate themselves to variations in its shape and diameter and to carbons of different sizes.

The segmental packing-ring eis shown most clearly in Figs. 2 and 3. The ring is turned out in one piece, the inner diameter being made of a size to fit the smallest carbon which is likely to be used in the lamp, and the ring is then cut by a very thin saw into a number of segments. The ring shown in the drawings is cut into six segments. The upper part of the ring is flat, and its inner surface is cylindrical to fit the carbon; but its lower surface is beveled to fit the sloping wall of the funnel-shaped seat 0 The different segments of the packing-ring e are adapted, therefore, to slide up and down upon the seat, so that the ring is thus in efiect expansible and contractible. A coverfis screwed upon the plate 0 to hold the packing-ring in position.

It might at first be thought that when a large carbon is used more air would be afforded a passage into the arc-chamber in the spaces between the different segments of the packing-ring than when the ring is closed up about a smaller carbon; but upon reflection it will be seen that whatever opening may be afiorded for the passage of air is at all times substantially the same irrespective of the size of the carbon, for when a larger carbon is used, although the distance between the segments of the packing-rim g is increased, yet the carbon fits more closely within the hole 0', through which it passes into the arc-chamber, and when a smaller carbon is used, while the space between the wall of the carbon and the edge of the hole 0 may be greater, yet the segments of the packing-ring are closer together, and the passage of air through the spaces between them is prevented.

The annular funnel-shaped seat a does not continue clear to the edge of the hole a; but in the formation of the seat a portion of the material is left, forming an annular stop or abutment 0 which limits the downward movement of the packing-ring.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with the arc-chamber of an inclosed-arc lamp, of a plate 0 forming a portion of the wall of said chamber, having a hole through which the carbon is fed into the arc-chamber, said plate having an annular funnel-shaped seat 0 around said hole, and an annular washer or packing-ringecomprising a number of separate segments adapted to slide, independently of one another, upon the sloping surface of the funnel-shaped seat, said packing-ring thus being adapted to fit closely about the carbon and to accommodate itself to carbons of varying sizes, substantially as set forth.

2. In a gas-check for inclosed-arc lamps, the combination with a plate 0 having a hole through which the carbon is passed into the arc-chamber, said plate being provided with an annular funnel-shaped seat 0 around said hole, an annular Washer or packing-ring comprising a number of separate segments resting in said seat, the individual segments being adapted to slide, independently of one another, upon the sloping surface of the seat, to fit closely about the carbon stick, and means for maintaining the packing-ring in place upon its seat, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 23d dayof April, A. D. 1900.

ERNEST I. \VARNER.

Witnesses:

DE WITT C. TANNER, W. W. LEAOH. 

